It's time for a national museum honoring Latinos

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

Could the next president of the United States be of Hispanic heritage? Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, left, and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, both of Cuban descent, each hope to win the GOP nomination for the presidency. Click through the gallery to see other news, politics, art, culture and entertainment stories that spoke to the Hispanic community during the last year.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump fields a question about immigration from Univision and Fusion anchor Jorge Ramos on August 25 in Dubuque, Iowa, a few minutes after Trump had Ramos removed from the room. The respected anchor had failed to yield when Trump wanted to take a question from a different reporter.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

In August, Puerto Rico went into default for the first time in its history after paying $628,000 toward a $58 million debt bill.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

A man in Cuba reads the state newspaper "Granma," but he may soon have access to more news and entertainment from the United States. After 54 years, the United States and Cuba restored diplomatic relations in 2015. In August, Secretary of State John Kerry officially reopened the U.S. Embassy in the Caribbean island nation.

Actors Roselyn Sanchez and Cristian de la Fuente pulled out of participating in Donald Trump's Miss USA pageant after the businessman and presidential candidate characterized Mexican immigrants to the United States as people "bringing drugs; they're bringing crime; they're rapists."

Television host Kelly Osbourne thought she was defending Latino immigrants to the United States against Donald Trump in August on ABC's "The View," but she ended up causing a controversy of her own when she asked the rhetorical question, "If you kick every Latino out of this country, then who's going to be cleaning your toilet, Donald Trump?"

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

The Library of Congress announced June 10 the appointment of Juan Felipe Herrera as the 21st U.S. poet laureate. He will have the role for 2015 through 2016, beginning in September. Herrera, 66, whose migrant farm worker parents emigrated from Mexico, will be the nation's first Latino poet laureate since the position was created in 1936.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

Pope Francis will canonize 18th-century Spanish friar Junipero Serra in September when he visits the U.S. Serra is credited with founding several missions in California that were created to spread the Christian gospel to the native peoples of that part of North America. Some Native Americans oppose Serra's canonization; they say his work contributed to the oppression of their ancestors.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

Actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, center, and cast members from the musical "Hamilton," landed on Broadway to raves from audiences and critics alike. The show about founding father Alexander Hamilton (written by Miranda, who is of Puerto Rican descent) was praised for its innovative music and diverse casting. The show's fans include President Barack Obama, who saw it in July.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

Presidential hopefuls paid unprecedented attention to the nation's Hispanic population in 2015. Both Democrats and Republicans were outspoken about how to tackle immigration from Mexico and Central America. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, seen here, was among three Democratic hopefuls who spoke at the annual meeting of the National Conference of La Raza, a Latino civil rights group, in July.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

Hispanic residents walk by a bilingual sign for a CVS pharmacy in Union City, New Jersey. A July report by the Spain-based nonprofit Instituto Cervantes indicates that the United States is the world's second-largest Spanish-speaking country. Only Mexico has more Spanish speakers.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

When the first issue of the relaunched "Spider-Man" series hits comic book stores this fall, the face behind the mask will be half-Latino, half-African-American character Miles Morales. Morales had been the famed webslinger in the "Ultimate" offshoot of the popular series, but will now replace the iconic Peter Parker in a main "Spider-Man" series.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

"Viva Frida," written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, was an honor book, or runner-up, for the prestigious Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished picture book for children. Morales's book also won a Pura Belpre Award, which is designated for a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

The most diverse place in America? Probably not where you think. It's actually Mountain View, Alaska, which boasts the most diverse census tract (with a significant percentage of Latinos) in the entire United States.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

In March, fans of Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla Perez, who used just her first name as her performing moniker, marked 20 years since her death at the hands of Yolanda Saldivar, who was the president of the singer's fan club.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

While presenting "Birdman" director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu with his prize for best picture at the Oscars, actor Sean Penn quipped, "Who gave this son of a bitch his green card?" His comment was considered insensitive -- and a public airing of a stereotype -- by many due to the contentious U.S. immigration debate.

Uruguayan journalist and writer Eduardo Galeano, who had a fanbase that spanned continents and who was considered one of the top voices of the Latin American left, died April 13 at age 74 in Montevideo, Uruguay.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

Emmy-winning actress Sonia Manzano, who has played shopkeeper Maria Rodriguez on the childrens television show "Sesame Street" since 1971, announced in July that she is retiring.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

The Central Intelligence Agency said in June that it is falling behind in recruiting, retaining and promoting racial and ethnic minorities. CIA Director John Brennan said the agency has had particular trouble attracting Hispanics.

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Photos:26 stories that shaped the Latino-American community

The first national report on Hispanic health had good news and bad news. The good news is that Hispanics generally fare well, healthwise -- better than non-Hispanic whites in some cases. The bad news is that Hispanics are still 50% more likely to die from diabetes and liver disease than non-Hispanics.

Actress Elizabeth Peña died Oct. 14, 2014, at age 55 of cirrhosis of the liver. Peña was best known for her work on the television show "Modern Family" as well as her work in such films as "La Bamba" and "Rush Hour."

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Story highlights

Congressman again introduces legislation for a National Museum of the American Latino

Raul A. Reyes: Such a museum needed given that Latinos are often portrayed negatively

Raul A. Reyes, an attorney and member of the USA Today board of contributors, writes frequently for CNN Opinion. Follow him on Twitter @RaulAReyes. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

(CNN)Maybe the third time will be the charm. Just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month, Rep. Xavier Becerra introduced legislation last week in Congress calling for the creation of a National Museum of the American Latino.

Photos:The Latino List

Photos:The Latino List

The Latino List – A new study examines the diverse Latino identity in the United States. "The Latino List" is a documentary and photo exhibit that reflects a diverse group of accomplished Latinos who reveal their personal stories in intimate interviews. This selection of photos captured by photographer and director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders shows a range of identities. Singer, songwriter and actress Gloria Estefan is Cuban-American. "The Latino List: Photographs by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders" is on view at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta now through May 19, 2013.

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Photos:The Latino List

The Latino List – Rapper and producer Pitbull was born Armando Christian Perez to Cuban parents in Miami.

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Photos:The Latino List

The Latino List – Actress Judy Reyes, best know from the series "Scrubs," is Dominican-American.

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Photos:The Latino List

The Latino List – Ralph de la Vega is president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and also a native of Cuba.

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Photos:The Latino List

The Latino List – Actor, comedian and producer John Leguizamo is Colombian-American, despite being thought to be Puerto Rican for much of his career.

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Photos:The Latino List

The Latino List – U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey is Cuban-American.

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Photos:The Latino List

The Latino List – Professional golfer Juan Antonio "Chi-Chi" Rodriguez was the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

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The proposed new museum would be part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. Becerra has tried three times to get this project off the ground, because the California Democrat believes the Smithsonian underserves US Latinos. "There's no better way to learn what it means to be an American than to spend time on the Mall and in the dozen or so Smithsonian museums," he said. "But if you do, you'll walk away without having an understanding of what it means to be an American of Latino descent."

A National Museum of the American Latino is an idea that makes sense. Latinos have long been overlooked by the Smithsonian Institution and deserve a showcase for our culture and history. The proposed new museum would enrich the experience of Smithsonian visitors.

Most Americans probably do not know that the nation's first successful school desegregation case centered on Mexican-Americans in San Diego in 1931, or that Latinos fought on both sides during the Civil War. Latinos such as the late Pedro E. Guerrero, the foremost photographer of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, and pioneering journalist Ruben Salazar, whom law enforcement killed in East Los Angeles in 1970, are worthy of more public recognition -- and not just during Hispanic Heritage Month.

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The need for a national Latino museum is acute given that Latinos are often portrayed negatively or erased in our society. The Texas State Board of Education is currently giving consideration to a Mexican-American studies textbook that has been described as "dripping with racism."

This month, a University of Southern California study on diversity in Hollywood found that Latinos continued to be underrepresented in film and TV. The nominee of a major presidential party has described Mexicans and immigrants as drug dealers and rapists. A standing national Latino museum could help counter such stereotypes by educating people about the contributions of Latinos to this country.

The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum, educational and research complex. One of the four priorities in its mission statement is "understanding the American experience."

But historically, the institution has not done a good job of recognizing -- let alone understanding -- how the country's 55 million Latinos fit into the American experience. In 1994, a Smithsonian task force found that the institution "displayed a pattern of willful neglect" toward Hispanics in collections, governance, personnel and resource allocation. The chairman of the task force, Raul Yzaguirre, said this meant that visitors "get a warped, distorted view of America."

As a result, in 1997 the Center for Latino Initiatives was created. Now known as the Smithsonian Latino Center, it sponsors exhibitions and curates an online gallery. While its work is thoughtful and engaging, it is no substitute for a physical building where visitors can learn about Latinos. Consider that the Smithsonian complex recorded more than 28 million visits last year, and most of these people likely had a richer, deeper experience than they could receive by scrolling online.

The Smithsonian already recognizes contributions by other groups. The National Museum of the American Indian opened in 2004, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture opens Saturday. Given our rise in numbers and influence, Latinos deserve a museum where we can see ourselves showcased as well. To be clear, however, this would not be a museum for Latinos alone. It would be for all visitors to share in the history and culture of Hispanic Americans.

The time is right to go forward on the idea of a Latino museum because bringing such a project to completion is a long process. (Congress approved the National Museum of African American History and Culture 13 years ago.)

Becerra also has bipartisan support for his proposal, which is co-sponsored in the House by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Florida, and in the Senate by John Cornyn, R-Texas. The proposed museum would rely on a combination of public and private funds, and would not require a new building because it would go into an existing structure, the Arts and Industries Building, now used for special programs on the National Mall.

True, critics of a national Latino museum have said that represents a balkanization of the Smithsonian.

"I don't want a situation where whites go to the original museum, African-Americans go the African-American museum, Indians go to the Indian museum, and Hispanics go to the Latino museum," then-Rep. Jim Moran, D-Virginia, told The New York Times in 2011. "That's not America."

Yet the proposed museum might not have been necessary had Latinos not been excluded from representation in the Smithsonian for so long. More importantly, the renewed effort for the National Museum of the American Latino is not about Latinos being a separate part of the Smithsonian. It is about Latinos being fully part of this esteemed institution. As Becerra said, "The more we give people the chance to see what it means to be an American Latino, the better off we are."

Latinos deserve full inclusion in the Smithsonian Institution. The National Museum of the American Latino represents an opportunity for Latinos and all Americans to take pride in our shared heritage.